Apparatus for controlling the traffic on single-line railways.



E. TYER.

APPARATUS-FOR GONTROLLINGjTHB TRAFFIC 0N SINGLE LINE RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 10, 1910.

1,024,233. Patented Apr.23, 1912.

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E. TYER. APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIC 0N SINGLE LINE RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 10, 1910.

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APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIG 0N SINGLE LINE R'AILWAYS.APPLIOATION FILED 00110, 1910.

1,024,233. Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

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APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE TRAFFIC 0N SINGLE-LINE RAIL-WAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 23, 1912.

Application filed October 10, 1910. Serial No. 586,166.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD TYER, a subject of the King of Great Britain,residing at Ashwin street, Dalston, in the county of London, England,electrical engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Controlling the Trafiic on Single-Line Railways, of

which the following is a specification.

I have described in previous patent specifications various constructionsof apparatus for insuring safety on single lines of railway bycontrolling electrically the issue of tablets which are carried by thetrains in passing over the various sections of the line. Such anelectrically controlled tablet apparatus is described, for example, in

British Patent Specification No. 1904 of 1891, and the improvedconstruction of tablet apparatus which constitutes the present inventionis, generally speaking, very similar in character and operation to theapparatus described in the aforesaid specification.

The chief features of novelty comprised in the new and improvedconstruction relate to the means for storing, withdrawing and replacingthe tablets and to the safety device for preventing tampering with theapparatus. Thus, the tablets are stored in a cylindrical magazine whichmay be either vertical or horizontal and are moved as a column so as tobring them into position for the withdrawal of a tablet by means of therotation of a screw-threaded spindle which is geared with the commutatorspindle in such manner that half a turn of the latter (which reversesthe commutator) causes the tablet spindle to be rotated through acomplete turn, the pitch of the thread of the tablet spindle being equalto the thickness of a tablet. The tablets may have their center holesscrew-threaded to fit the spindle by means of which they are shifted, orthey may be shifted by means of a guided nut on the screw-thread.

In the preferred construction the tablets are carried one above theother in a vertical magazine and are supported on a platform integralwith a nut mounted on a vertical screw-threaded spindle running throughthe central holes of the tablets, the usual slots in the edges of thetablets and a corresponding slot in the platform cooperating wlth avertical guide to constrain the tablets to move vertically withoutrotation when the spindle is turned. If the central holes of the tabletsare screw-threaded to fit the spindle, the platform and nut may bedispensed with.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1s a perspective view of one formof tablet instrument having a vertical magazine, embodying my presentinvention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line IIII ofFig. 3; Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view of a portion of Fig. 2showing a modified form of tablets; Fig. 3 is a plan view with the topand tablet reservoir removed; Fig. 4: is a section on the line IVIV ofFig. 3; Fig. 4 is a detail showing the electromagnetic locking device;Fig. 5 is a plan of tablet slide and reservoir; Fig. 6 is a longitudinalvertical section of the port-ion thereof with the slide in and lidraised; Fig. 7 is a section on the line VII-VII of Fig. 5, showing theposition of the parts when the tablet is inserted; Fig. 8 is a similarview showing the position of the same parts when the tablet is pushedhome to displace the lever with which it cooperates; Fig. 9 is a detailview of the tablet spindle lock and the switch controlled thereby; Figs.10 and 11 are longitudinal sections illustrating the interlockingconnections of the slide and lid; and Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the electric circuits.

Referring first mainly to Fig. 12, a denotes the commutator spindle, bthe tablet spindle, c the bell key for sending currents to line, d theswitch controlling the unlocking electromagnet e; e the magnet armature, f the local battery, f the positive terminal, f the zinc terminal,9 the galvanometer, h the bell, i the polarized relay, 9'

- a switch controlled by the locking device of the tablet spindle I). Zthe line terminal, and 7c the earth terminal. The spring brushes of thecommutator are denoted by the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and theassociated contacts 1*, 2 4 5 6 on one side of the commutator, and 1 3",5 and 7* on the reverse side of the commutator.

Referring now to the other figures of the drawing, the tablet spindle bis geared with the commutator spindle a, through bevel gear a, Z) havinga ratio of two to one. Mounted on the screw-threaded spindle b is a nut6 as shown in Fig. 2, which is surmounted by a plat-form b the uppersurface of which is inclined toward the rear of the tablet magazine m,so that the tablets m will rest one upon the other in a correspondinglyinclined posit-ion. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 2 the tablets m mayhave their center holes screw threaded to fit the spindle b and be thenshifted by the spindle. In this case the screw threads of the tabletwould be arranged so that when in engagement with the spindle they willassume the desired inclination.

The inlet end of the magazine, which, in the case of a verticalmagazine, is the upper end, is closed by a slide 12, which in oneposition has an aperture 10 in register with the column of tablets, andin the other operative position has a solid part over the tablets. Asthe last tablet inserted in the magazine is the first to be withdrawn,the upper tablet of the column is always close against the slide whichcloses the magazine. Above the slide is a hinged lid 0, having a recessin its under side adapted to accommodate a tablet, and this lid is socorrelated with the tablet slide that it can only be raised for thewithdrawal or insertion of a tablet when the slide is pushed into theclosed position, as in Fig. 6, so as to cover completely the remainingtablets in the magazine and also a lever 79, hereinafter de-.

scribed, which controls the rotation of the tablet and commutatorspindles in one direc' tion, thereby preventing tampering with thetablets or lever. The slide n, which is guided longitudinally on the topof the magazine, has an aperture n of sufficient diameter to allow thetablets to pass therethrough and the front edge of this aperture ischamfered, as shown, for the reason already explained. A second hole orslot- 12 is provided in the slide in such a position that when thelatter is thrust home to the rear this slot will register with a stud orprojection 0 on the lid 0. In all other positions of the slide, thisstud 0 abuts against a solid part of the slide, thereby preventing thelid being raised, while in the rearward position, this stud is enabledto enter the slot a in the slide and the lid to be raised so as towithdraw or replace a tablet.

Assuming normal condition of the tablet instrument, and that a releasingcurrent is received from the distant end of the section, this currententering at line terminal Z traverses lead 8, galvanometer 9, lead 9,key 0, bridge contact 0, lead 10, relay 2', lead 11 to earth 7:. Withthe commutator in the position shown, the relay armature is deflected bythe line current to the left, bringing the tongue 2" against the contact2' thereby establishing a circuit from the local battery f, throughterminal f, key (Z, bridge contact (5, lead 12, bell 72, bar i on relay,tongue i, base plate 2' of relay, lead 13, to zinc terminal f thiscurrent causing the bell to ring.

On depressing key (Z, a circuit is established from local battery f,through terminal f, key (Z, spring (Z magnet coil 0, lead 14, springbrush 6, contact 6, spring brush 7, lead 15, relay contact 2' tongue 2",base plate 2'*, lead 13 to zinc terminal i The magnet 6 being energizedby this current, armature e is attracted, unlocking the commutator a, sothat it can be rotated counter-clockwise through half a turn. Therotation of the spindle a disconnects all circuits at the spring brushesof the commutator, and also incidentally the sending circuit of thelocal battery is broken at spring switch 7' by means of the locking pawlof the tablet spindle, hereafter described. The rotation of thecommutator spindle in this direction through half a turn rotates thetablet spindle through a complete turn in the direction for feeding thecolumn of tab-lets into the delivery position, and consequently, if theslide is in the proper position, the top tablet will be raised throughthe aperture in the slide into the recess under the cover. On pushingthe slide inward, the front edge of the aperture passes under thetabletso that the latter is exposed above the slide when the lid israised for its withdrawal.

Fig. 7 shows the position of the parts which cooperate with the tabletswhen a tablet has been placed on the top of the magazine and the slidepulled out so as to allow the tablet to drop through the aperture in theslide. In i this position, the rear edge of the inserted tablet rests onthe nose 7) of a crank lever p, which is carried at the end of avertical rod 12 suitably journaled in fixed parts of the apparatus orcasing. Carried by the crank lever 79 is an arm 39 the end of whichengages a spring-pressed pin or plunger 79* and is suitably chamfered sothat when the crank lever 79 is moved outward, the pin 79* issimultaneously thrust upward through a hole a in the slide, therebylocking the slide when the crank lever 79 is displaced outwardly. Thereare two of these holes a in the slide, one being in register wit-h thepin p when the slide is pulled out and the other when the slide ispushed home.

Assuming the magazine to be in the position shown in Fig. 7, theoperator depresses a plunger 0 fitted in the lid and thereby forces thetop tablet on past the nose 7) of the lever p, displacing the leverlaterally and, of course, rocking the vertical rod p in its bearings.The lateral displacement of the crank lever 79 brings the end of the arm29 into engagement with the spring-pressed pin 29, forcing the end ofthe pin into the hole n in the rear part of the slide a, thereby lockingthe slide, as shown in Fig. 8.

At the lower end of the vertical rod 79 there is a projecting arm 20(Fig. 2) which engages a pin projecting upwardly from a locking pawl gwhich is normally springpressed into engagement with ratchet teeth I)cut in the edge of a disk Z2 which is keyed on the lower end of thetablet spindle Z). The lateral displacement of the crank lever 10through its engagement with the top tablet, causes the locking pawl g todisengage from the ratchet and thereby enables the operator to turn thecommutator spindle a in the clockwise direction, that is to say, in thedirection in which the column of tablets m is lowered in the magazine.As the crank lever p is returned to its normal position by means ofsuitably applied springs, as for example, the return spring or springs gof the locking pawl 9, when the center of the edge of the disk haspassed the nose of the lever, and as this occurs before the tabletspindle I) has been turned through its full range, that is, onerevolution; the ratchet teeth 6 extend only over part of the edge of thedisk 6*, the remainder of the disk being left full so that the pawl Qwill ride on the full part of the disk when the crank lever 79 isreleased by the passage of the tablet and will drop only into engagementwith the ratchet teeth when a full turn has been completed. Thisprovision applies, of course, when the tablet spindle b is being rotatedin a direction in which the operative sides of the ratchet teeth aremoved toward the nose of the pawl and does not apply when the tabletspindle is being rotated in the opposite direction since, in this case,the pawl merely slips over the teeth. Projecting from the boss of thedisk 6 is a V-shaped stud b adapted to engage in a correspondinglyshaped recess in a springpressed block 6 the stud b and cooperatingnotch acting as a locating pawl determining the correct normal positionof the spindle Z). The movement of the pawl Q is arranged also to efiectthe interruption of the circuit to line at the switch j, as indicatedmore particularly in Fig. 9 of the drawings.

Near one end of the commutator spindle a is a disk a having teeth a cuttherein at opposite ends of a diameter which teeth cooperate with alocking pawl e carried by the armature e of the electromagnet e to anrest the rotation of the commutator spindle a on each half turn, thelocking pawl e be ing retracted to allow the commutator spindle a to berotated counter-clockwise by the energizing of the magnet e,consequently on the depression of the key d by the operator, after areleasing current has been received from the distant station. The twosets of contacts at opposite ends of the diameter of the commutator areso arranged that the spring brushes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 rest on one orthe other of these sets of con tacts when the commutator spindle is inone or the other of its normally locked positions. The interconnectionof the contacts on the commutator is shown in Figs. 3 and 12, but as thearrangement of the commutator and the manner in which its operationcontrols the electric circuits are no part of the present invention,but, on the contrary, are well known, it is unnecessary to describe thispart of the apparatus at any length.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assuming the condition ofthe traflic on a section of the line to be such as to require thewithdrawal of a tablet from the instrument at the entering end of thesection, on the receipt of a releasing current from the distant end, thelocal relay armature is deflected into a position in which a circuit isestablished from the local battery on the switch key being depressed bythe operator, the establishment of a current in this circuit energizingthe electromagnet whereby the commutator spindle is unlocked, so that itcan be turned in that direction which rotates the tablet spindle in thedirection required for the withdrawal of a tablet. Assuming thedirection of rotation of the commutator spindle to be counter-clockwise,half a turn of the spindle in this direction breaks the local batterycircuits and reverses the polarity of the battery connections to lineand commutates the connections between the relay and the electromagnet.The consequent rotation of the tablet spindle through one complete turnraises the column of tablets so that the upper tablet is pushed throughthe aperture in the slide into the recess under the lid to such anextent that, on pushing the slide inward the beveled front edge of theaperture passes under the tablet, so that on completion of the inwardmovement of the slide, the top tablet rests on the solid part of theslide which cuts ofi the remainder of the tablets. In this position, thehole or slot in the slide comes into register with the stud orprojection from the hinge of the lid, which normally abuts against thesolid part of the slide, and thereby allows the lid to be lifted and theexposed tablet to be withdrawn. On the column of tablets being raised bythe rotation of the tablet spindle, the top tablet encounters the lever79, the displacement of which causes the springpressed pin or plunger39* to be directed into the hole of the slide so as to lock the latterand thereby prevent the slide being moved until the tablet has beenraised to the proper position for withdrawal, in which position it hasmoved clear of the lever and the lock ing pin has been withdrawn by itsspring from engagement with the slide. If another tablet has to bewithdrawn, it is obvious that the commutator spindle can not be rotatedby the operator until the tablet slide has been pulled out, since thetop tablet of the column would be pressing againstthe solid part of theslide.

To insert a tablet the slide, it not already in position, must be pushedin so as to allow the lid to be raised and the tablet to be inserted inthe appropriate position. The slide is then pulled out, allowing thetablet to drop through the aperture, but the rear edge of the tablet isarrested by the nose of the spring-pressed lever above referred to, sothat it can not drop completely into the position on the top of thecolumn of tablets. The operator by pressing the knob of the plunger 0fitted in the lid forces the edge of the tablet past the lever, therebydisplacing it laterally and simultaneously locking the slide by themeans already described, which remains locked until the edge of thetablet clears the nose of the lever. The lateral displacement of thelever involves the partial rotation of the vertical rod on which it isfixed and the consequent unlocking of the tablet spindle by means of thearm p projecting from the rod which withdraws the pawl g from engagementwith the ratchet disk 6 on the tablet spindle. The commutator spindlecan now be turned in the clockwise direction, and consequently, thecolumn of tablets will be lowered in the magazine. To enable thecommutator spindle to be given half a turn and the tablet spindle acomplete turn, the teeth of the locking ratchet only extend around partof the circumference of the ratchet disk, so that when the edge of theinserted tablet falls below the lever with which it cooperates, the pawlwill not re'engage the ratchet teeth but will rest on the full part ofthe disk until the due rotation has been effected. Movement of thelocking pawl or its actuating mechanism is also arranged to operate aswitch so that the local battery circuit is broken during the period inwhich the top tablet is in operative engagement with the lever on thevertical rod, and this condition, of course, applies whether the tabletsare being raised or lowered in the magazine.

Since the spring-pressed lever which controls the tablet spindle lockand the other devices already described in connection with it, must notbe accessible when the lid of the magazine is opened, it is disposedbelow the level of the slide and is covered by the latter when pushedin, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It follows from this that, in order toinsure due clearance for the return of the lever to its normal orinoperative position, the tablets if of the usual pattern, have to beinclined downward toward the rear of the magazine, as already explained.Otherwise, the tablets must be made of a'special pattern, for eX- ample,they may have a central boss of such depth as to leave sufficientclearance between the edges of the tablets to allow the return of thelever to its normal position.

It is to be understood that many modifications may be made in theapparatus above described, without departing from the present invention,as for example, the apparatus may be arranged to be actuated by theoperator turning the tablet spindle instead of the commutator spindle.Also, as already mentioned, the tablet magazine and spindle may bearranged horizontally, the tablets being either screw-threaded to litthe screwthreaded spindle or not, as the case may be. If they are notscrew-threaded, they would usually be strung on a plain fixed rod or barpassing through their central aperture, a screwed spindle suit-ablygeared with the commutator spindle being fitted with a traversing nutwhich engages in rear of the row of tablets. In this case also, inreturning a tablet the operator has to press on the returned tablet bymeans of a suitable device so as to push the whole row of tabletsbackward as the spindle is rotated.

Having thus described my invention and the best means I know of carryingthe same into practical eliect, I claim:

1. In electrically controlled apparatus for working trafiic on thetablet system on single line railways, in combination with localelectric circuits, a magazine adapted to hold a series of tablets sideby side in row and means for shifting the tablets as a column within themagazine a distance equal to the thickness of a tablet, said meanscomprising a rotatable commutator spindle adapted to control the localelectric circuit, a rotatably mounted member correlated with the tabletswithin the magazine and a connection between the commutator spindle androtatable member operating to turn the latter and cause the tablets tomove as a column the desired distance when the commutator spindle isgiven half a turn to commutate the connections in the local circuits.

2. In electrically controlled apparatus for working traflic on thetablet system on single line railways, in combination with localelectric circuits, a series of tablets each having a central aperturewhich is screwthreaded, a magazine adapted to hold the tablets side byside and means for shifting the tablets as a column within the magazinea distance equal to the thickness of a tablet, said means comprising arotatable commutator spindle adapted to control the local electriccircuits, a rotatable screwed spindle having threads of a pitch equal tothe thickness of a tablet and adapted to turn in the apertures of thetablets and gearing connecting the commutator spindle and thescrew-threaded spindle and operating to impart a complete turn to thelatter to shift the tablets as a column the desired distance when thecommutator spindle is given a half turn to commutate the connections inthe local circuits.

3. In electrically controlled apparatus for working traffic on thetablet system on. single line railways, in combination with localelectric circuits, a magazine adapted to hold a series of tablets sideby side in a row and means for shifting the tablets as a column withinthe magazine a distance equal to the thickness of a tablet, said meanscomprising a rotatable commutator spindle adapted to control the localelectric circuits, a rotatably mounted screw-threaded spindle havingthreads of a pitch equal to the thickness of a tablet, a guidedtraversing nut mounted on the screw-threaded spindle and engaging therear of the row of tablets, and gearing connecting the two spindles andoperating to impart a complete turn to the screw-threaded spindle andthereby shift the guided nut and the tablets as a column a distanceequal to the thickness of a tablet when the commutator spindle is givena half turn to commutate the connections in the local circuits.

4. In electrically controlled apparatus for working traffic on thetablet system on single line railways, in combination with localelectric circuits, a series of tablets each having a central aperture, avertical cylindrical casing adapted to hold the tablets superposed oneon the other and means for shifting the tablets as a column within themagazine a distance equal to the thickness of a tablet, said meanscomprising a rotatable commutator spindle adapted to control the localcircuits, a vertical screw-threaded spindle extending through thecentral apertures of the tablets and having threads of a pitch equal tothe thickness of a tablet, a guided traversing nut mounted on thescrewthreaded spindle and engaging the rear of the row of tablets, andgearing connecting the said two spindles and operating to impart acomplete turn to the screw-threaded spindle and thereby shift the guidednut and the tablets as a column a distance equal to the thickness of atablet when the commutator spindle is given a half turn to commutate theconnections in the local circuits.

5. In electrically controlled apparatus for working traflic on thetablet system on single line railways, in combination with localelectric circuits, a series of tablets each having a central aperture avertical cylindrical casing adapted to hold the tablets superposed oneon the other and means for shifting the tablets as a column within themagazine a distance equal to the thickness of a tablet, said meanscomprising a rotatable commutator spindle adapted to control the localcircuits, avertical screw-threaded spindle extending through the centralapertures of the tablets and having threads of a pitch equal to thethickness of a tablet, a guided traversing nut mounted on thescrewthreaded spindle, a platform having an inclined upper surface,surmounting the nut and adapted to support the superposed tablets in acorrespondingly inclined position for the purpose described and gearingconnecting the said two spindles and operating to impart a complete turnto the screwthreaded spindle and thereby shift the guided nut and thetablets as a column a distance equal to the thickness of a tablet whenthe commutator spindle is given a half turn to commutate the connectionsin the local circuits.

6. In apparatus for controlling the traflic of single line'railways onthe tablet system and in which the tablets are moved as a column for thepurpose of withdrawing or insertinga tablet, the combination of amagazine adapted to hold a row of tablets side by side, a tablet slidemovably mounted on the end of the magazine, said slide having both anaperture adapted to register in one operative position of the slide withthe row of tablets and also a solid part adapted to register in a secondoperative position of the slide with said row of tablets, a lid hingedto the magazine above the said slide, and means operating to prevent theraising of the lid when the said aperture is in register with the row oftablets.

7 In apparatus for controlling the traffic of single line railways onthe tablet system and in which the tablets are moved as a column for thepurpose of withdrawing or inserting a tablet, the combination oi. amagazine adapted to hold a row of tablets side by side, a tablet slidemovably mounted on the end of the magazine, said slide having both anaperture adapted to register in one operative position of the slide withthe row of tablets and also a solid part adapted to register in a secondoperative position of the slide, with said row of tablets, said slidehaving in addition a recess, a lid hinged to the magazine above the saidslide and having a projection adapted normally to abut against the solidpart of the slide and to register with the said recess when the solidpart of the slide registers with the row of tablets.

8. In apparatus for controlling the traflic of single line railways onthe tablet system, the combination of a magazine adapted to receive aseries of tablets side by side, a rotatably mounted spindle and meansoperatecl thereby adapted to move the tablets In testimony whereof Ihave signed my as a column, a device normally operating name to thisspecification in the presence of to lock the spindle against rotation inone two subscribing Witnesses.

direction and adapted to be displaced by a EDWARD TYER. tablet, pressedby an operator into the in- Witnesses:

let of the magazine to unlock the spindle WVALTER J. SKERTEN,

and permit its rotation in the said direction. JOSEPH MILLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. G.

